


Hard Times

by KingNCP



Series: The Struggles of a Thief [2]
Category: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, Drug Use, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, F/M, Gen, Mentions of addiction, Rating: M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:22:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22090057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingNCP/pseuds/KingNCP
Summary: Nick Johnson struggles to handle the pressure of being the next master thief of his family, even more so now that he's been living with the Cooper Gang since they've been kids. Will his decision to venture out on his own be a blessing to his career or a curse?
Relationships: OC/OC, Sly Cooper/Carmelita Fox
Series: The Struggles of a Thief [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594156
Comments: 4
Kudos: 2





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoy the new story! So far it seems like Ao3 is pretty much an improved version of Deviant Art, so I think I'll be posting on here for a while. I'll keep posting about Nick's past for a few more stories until I feel like enough has been established to start posting about his current life.

_September 22nd, 1995_

Life at the Happy Camper Orphanage was once a great and lively time for orphaned kids who needed a place to stay. At its founding, the orphanage quickly became known for having the best funding and supplies France and its citizens could offer to help ensure the kids' stay would at least be a comfortable and enjoyable time until they were either adopted or grew old enough to function in society. However, looking at the building now, you could easily tell something was amiss. No longer a vibrant and colorful place, the teal paint on the outside was now faded to a dullish grey, the children miserable and often-times refusing to eat as the once incredible cooking was now replaced with simple and often bland meals of oatmeal, porridge, sandwiches, and the occasional bowl of cereal or eggs with bacon. Even the playgrounds were littered with rocky patches of dirt, potholes, and shoddy installation of the equipment. Many often wondered why the orphanage was still up-and-running, as it was clear whatever funding it was receiving clearly wasn't going towards improving the lives of the children anymore, but with many choosing to turn a blind eye or just ignore former residents' pleas to help the orphans, the management of Happy Camper continued to run the place as is. 

Nick, who arrived little over a year ago, quickly realized that just having the last name of a master thief was immediately going to put a target on someone's back, let alone with everyone finds out you _actually are_ the son of a master thief. His first day, he found himself in Mrs. Puffin's office being given a lecture on how she wouldn't tolerate any ill behavior from the young raccoon. He didn't miss the cold, icy stare of disgust that she was giving him the entire time, causing his ears to slowly pin back farther and farther the longer he stayed in her presence. 

Not soon after leaving her office, he was dragged into one of the bathrooms by a group of the older kids who thought they'd give him a bit of an initiation by fully submerging his face in a bathtub, holding him underwater till he would become disoriented, yanking his head out to give him some air, before shoving him back under again in a repeated motion until he finally managed to break free of their hold and sprint out of the room in absolute terror and hid under his bed for nearly 2 hours before Mrs. Puffin found him. The latest attempts were more to mess with his fear of firearms, which the older kids found out quickly after he caught them watching an action movie and got terrified when he heard the villains shooting at the main hero. 

Unfortunately for Nick, he was once again in a similar state as he was being led out to the playground against his will by the older kids, his ears pressed back and his tiny fangs bared as he growled weakly when he felt a hard shove on his back at nearly made him stumble over. He glanced around the area to see if anyone would be bold enough to try and help him, but winced and held back a cry of pain as he felt someone stomp hard on his tail, trapping it underneath their foot while he tried to yank the appendage free. Just as he was about to throw a punch to the one on his tail, a Doberman who was about 12 years old, Nick's ears perked up and a sharp chill shot down his spine as he heard a faint click and turned to see that a rabbit was holding a BB gun, and aiming it right at him with a twisted grin on his face. 

"You sure Mrs. Puffin's not gonna notice you bought a BB gun, Jay? One of the brats here is bound to snitch on you." The Doberman chuckled, twisting his foot on Nick's tail and smirking to hear the raccoon cry out in pain before putting him in a chokehold. "Can you believe that this kid is the son of a thief? He's hardly a challenge!" 

"Zach, shut up alright? Make enough noise and she'll definitely see us! Now, hold him still. He's already scared shitless! Look at his face!" Jay, the rabbit laughed as he walked up close to the struggling raccoon, gripping his chin and forcing Nick to look into his eyes. "You sure his dad was a master thief? Some thief he is if he can't protect his own family from some thugs." He mocked before slamming the butt of the BB gun into Nick's gut, causing him to double over and gasp for air while tears stung his eyes. 

"S-Shut up..."Nick coughed out as he felt the hold around his neck tighten, choking off more air and causing his vision to go a bit blurry as he glared at the rabbit. "M-My dad... was...an awesome thief." He dug his nails into Zach's arm, scratching weakly as he tried to take in more air while thrashing in the Doberman's hold. He tensed up and froze once more when Jay pointed the BB gun at him once again, his eyes widening and ears pressing back while his tail twitched anxiously as he feared what the rabbit would do to him. "J-Just leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you jerks!" He pleaded to the two, which earned nothing but hard laughs as they simply ignored his protests. 

"Jay, hurry up and do it. You know that other brats and his friends like to stick their nose in our fun. They're probably heading over here by now from all the noise this squirt is making!" Zach hissed as he tightened his hold once more on Nick's neck, earning a strangled gasp and weak struggles as the raccoon's vision was now beginning to fade in and out due to the lack of air he was getting. 

"Relax! I'm almost set! Just gotta aim for the right spot." Jay snapped back before looking down the scope of the BB gun, finger resting on the trigger as he aimed right at Nick's face. "Got it, now get ready to shut him up or he'll alert Mrs. Puffin with his wailing." 

Nick shut his eyes tightly, shivering hard in the Doberman's grasp before feeling the dog go limp and drop him rather roughly onto the ground with a hard thud. Taking a few deep gasps of air while rubbing his sore neck, he made out what looked to be a pink hippo landing several hard punches to the Doberman's face while a grey raccoon had pried the gun away from Jay's hand and was working on dodging a few punches from the rabbit. He jumped when he felt a hand pull him upright by his arm and blinked in surprise to see a short turtle examining him and leading him away from the others. 

"Are you alright? I apologize we arrived later than I would've liked but at least those two didn't do any terrible damage from what I can see." The turtle observed, his voice nasally and eyes still scanning over the taller, but younger raccoon as he noticed tiny details about the kid. "Hmm.. grey eyes and brown fur? You're Nick, right? I've seen you reading the same book over and over in the library while I'm there."

"Uh... yeah. I'm Nick Johnson... who are you? Also, who are they?" Nick asked with a confused look expression clear on his face as he jabbed his thumb over at the hippo and raccoon who was now smirking at the Doberman and rabbit sprinting away and yelling for Mrs. Puffin's help. He raised an eyebrow at the two before jumping in shock as the hippo snapped the BB gun in half once he was handed it by the raccoon in blue clothing. 

"Oh! Right, we haven't properly met yet. I'm Bentley, the hippo over there is Murray, and the other is Sly. Murray and I have been here for as long as we can remember, while Sly's only been here for about 3 years now. We've been trying to figure out how to stop Jay and Zach from bullying everyone without using violence but when we saw you being led out here by them... we feared we had no choice." Bentley remarked before smiling as Sly and Murray walked over. "Your timing was a bit off, Sly. You were a half a second late grabbing the BB gun, if it weren't for Murray throwing a punch on Zach, Jay probably would've hit Nick."

"Hey, it worked out in the end, didn't it? At least we know he wasn't hurt." Sly replied with a chuckle before looking over at Nick, blinking in surprise before rubbing his chin as he stared at the other raccoon. "You... look pretty familiar, you're the kid that was dropped off by Interpol last year, right? At least they were nice enough to do that for you. I was pretty much dumped here by them after my parents died." Sly recalled before nodding in approval seeing Nick wasn't banged up too much, maybe needing some gauze for the bruising on his tail where Zach stomped on. "It's much safer if you stick with someone at all times while walking around here, you're pretty gutsy if you think you can handle those two constantly."

"Maybe he doesn't have friends? I haven't seen him talking with anybody besides Mrs. Puffin whenever he gets in trouble. I think we're honestly the first kids he's talked with since being here." Murray pondered aloud before smiling apologetically at Nick when he spotted him looking a bit annoyed at the statement. "If you'd like, we could be your friends!" 

"It would help you stay safe from Zach and Jay if we provided you some company. Another added benefit would that you and Sly would be able to get along pretty well with similar upbringings as you both apparently come from families of thieves. Sly being from the Cooper Clan and you being from the Johnson family." Bentley agreed, adjusting his glasses with a smile as he looked over to Sly, who simply shrugged and offered a handshake to the younger raccoon. 

"It would be nice to have someone else to talk to about how it was like growing up with our family's histories and stories being told to us. Besides, it couldn't hurt to at least chat with us once in a while while you're here, right? You never know, we could get along pretty good." Sly stated as he looked over at Nick with a small smirk. "We could also help you get better at being a thief if you're thinking of taking up your family's trade. The gang and I already have pulled a few _heists_ if you wanna call them that. Mainly against Mrs. Puffin, as she's usually the one letting Jay and Zach get away with their stunts." 

Nick's scarred ear twitched as he stared at the other three, silently pondering his situation while going over several scenarios in his head. If he did become their friend, they'd all have a larger target on their backs from the older kids who seemed to enjoy going after him. Sly and the gang seemed to be more than capable of handling themselves, however, thanks to being a few years older than Nick, but they also seemed to genuinely care about his well being more than anyone else has shown the last year. Nick let out a small sigh before reaching out with his hand, hesitating a brief moment, before accepting the Gang's offer. "Just to clear things up, I do want to be a thief like my dad was... but with me being your friend, you do realize that they'll try to go after you guys more just because I'm the new kid?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at Sly with a puzzled look on his face when the older raccoon simply snickered and winked. 

"Don't worry about us, we've been keeping those guys in check. Also, be careful with Mrs. Puffin, I'm sure she already has you labeled as a _problematic child_ as she labeled me when I first arrived. She'll try to find any excuse to make your time here a nightmare so it's best to just keep your head down and out of trouble during the day, and at night we can use that time to practice and get you up to speed on everything going on here. I managed to swipe a copy of the building's blueprints for Bentley and we found an old room that nobody knows about. It's been boarded up for years, but you can get in by climbing through the vents or by the window once someone unlocks it from the inside. Bentley can give you a map and we'll meet you there tonight around 8 PM. Got it?" Sly disclosed as he dug into his backpack and pulled out a handmade hall-pass. "Use this if you're caught by Mrs. Puffin walking around at night, it works all the time to get you out of trouble." 

Nick nodded before taking the makeshift hall-pass, holding back a laugh as he saw it was written in crayon but seemed in good enough condition to work on Mrs. Puffin if she wasn't examining it for a long period of time. He slipped it into his hoodie's front pocket before blinking in surprise to hear that they'd make him a map of the building as well. "You sure Mrs. Puffin won't find out about this? Does anybody else know you guys sneak around at night?" He asked as he looked at the three with a startled expression that made Murray practically giggle. 

"Nobody knows! Even if they did, they wouldn't have enough proof to show we were up to no good! Sly's also pretty good at telling lies, so Mrs. Puffin tends to believe him and Bentley if Bentley backs him up and points out a few things about who's telling her the news." Murray grinned while slapping Sly on the back, causing Sly to nearly stumble over and give him a quick look before a smile returned to the raccoon's face once again. 

"Most of the older kids tend to sneak out at night anyway, so we don't have to worry about being spotted by them as we make our way to the room. The grate covering the vent is loosely screwed, so you just need to pull on it gently to get inside. The room also has very thick walls, so we don't have to be overly cautious about making noise while we improve our talents, but I would refrain from any yelling or loud crashes to avoid Mrs. Puffin discovering us." Bentley recommended before looking over at the building, frowning when he spotted Mrs. Puffin watching them like a hawk as Zach and Jay glared at them from behind her. "We'll talk more tonight, I recommend bringing that book you're always reading as it must be important to you if you never let anyone else see it. Who knows what those three would do to it." Nick’s ears perked up before a small shiver ran through his spine at the thought of the bullies getting their hands on his dad’s book. He gave the three a small nod before looking over at Jay and Zach once more, his eyes shining mischievously while a small smirk grew on his face as he felt Murray and Sly pat his back. “I have a feeling that things are about to get more interesting around here.” 

_7:55 PM_

Nick, now with an old backpack strapped to his back, along with his dad’s old black cap perched on his head, couldn’t help but grin excitedly the closer he got to the vent system. After spending the day with Sly and his friends, he quickly came to realize that Sly was pretty skilled as a thief while Murray was the group’s strength. He had a strong hunch that Bentley was the group’s brains as soon as they met, and after going over the introductions his hunch was proven correct. Now that he was hearing they wanted to be master thieves once out of the orphanage, he was eager to get to work on honing his own talents after reading the family book every day since he arrived. He glanced around the dark, empty hallway before kneeling and wiggling loose the grate of the vent system, his breath hitching in his throat as the cover made a loud squeak that seemed to echo in the still night air. He tensed up and listened carefully, his ears twitching nervously as he slipped into the vents and covered up the hole before making his way into the abandoned room where he was supposed to meet the gang. While crawling through the vents, he could hear a few hash whispers coming from the end of the vents, his smirk returning as he spotted the gang already in the process of their warmups. 

He jumped down and landed with a soft thud near Bentley, who practically fell out his chair in shock before composing himself after shooting Nick a small glare, earning an apologetic smile from the raccoon in return. “Well, it looks like we’re all here then. A bit early, too. It gives us a little more time to go over things for Nick to get caught up with the rest of us. Now what have you learned from your dad, and what are you learning by reading that book of yours?” Bentley asked, holding back a chuckle seeing Nick tense up at the mention of the book. “Sly mentioned his own family had a book on his ancestors’ techniques, I merely assumed that your book was something similar. Looks like my hypothesis was correct.

”“Y-Yeah… it was a book my dad told me was passed down to him from my grandfather, and every firstborn in the family got the book to write in their techniques and stories. My dad taught me how to pick locks, pickpocket, and how to silence my breathing, the rest I’ve been learning through the book, but I’m still pretty shaky with the basics.” Nick admitted, rubbing the back of his head as he looked over at the Murray and Sly finishing their warmups. “…I gotta ask, how’re we going to train here exactly?”

“We just set up obstacles for now, but our plan is to sneak out and practice in the alleyways nearby. There’s also a distribution center where you and Sly can work on your leaping abilities and climbing skills. However, that won’t happen until we’re all done with mastering the basics.” Bentley replied before going back to studying what looked like Paris’ city layouts.

“Nick! It’s awesome you’re here, are you ready to get started? I can help you throw a punch better, and Sly can help you hide and be sneaky like crazy!” Murray exclaimed before throwing a few boxing punches at the air and bouncing on his feet. “Sly’s dad was the best thief in the world, so we’re gonna help Sly reach the top too!” He grinned while looking over at Sly, earning a light laugh from the thief-in-training. 

“That’s the goal at least, but I’d be satisfied if I can regain my family book from some creeps calling themselves the fiendish five while also taking them down for what they did to my parents. They ripped out the pages of the book, killed my parents and left me with just the cover of the Thievius Racconus.” Sly replied, sighing as he stretched his back. “We’re ready to get started if you are.” 

Nick simply nodded before placing his backpack against the door, cracking his knuckles as he walked back over to the gang with a grin clear on his face. “I’m ready, teach me anything you guys know.” He replied with determination clear in his eyes. “Don’t hold back, I can handle it!” 

Sly simply smirked and twirled his cane in his hand, his tail swaying as he raised an eyebrow at the younger raccoon’s eagerness to train. “Alright then... Let’s get to work.”


	2. Lacking Patience

_November 23rd, 2001_

"All I'm asking is for you guys to just give me a chance to show you what I am capable of. I know you guys still think I need more training, but you seriously can't expect me to wait on the sidelines every time you three go into town and pull off a small heist!"

Sly sighed and rubbed his temples as he listened to Nick sitting next to him, once again frustrated at being left behind while the gang went into town and pulled off a small-time heist to work on polishing their skills more. It wasn't a major score, but enough to get them some extra money to live on and help suit up this old van Murray found at a junkyard. It looked to be in pretty great shape, and spacious enough for them all to fit in, but it was in desperate need of repairs before it would be up and running. Sly couldn't see the potential at first, only seeing how much time and money it would've costed them but now? He had to admit, the van was quickly becoming a favorite of his as with Murray's knowledge on cars along with Bentley's incredible tech, they had managed to suit it up with all sorts of gadgets. As for the heist, Sly found himself almost bored out of his mind as the group they targeted were just a bunch of petty crooks and lowlifes that hardly gave him a challenge. Even Bentley was surprised by how well things went that he suggested they go after the top of the chain and take down the crooks' leaders the same night, leading them to get back to their apartment around 3 AM.

A small smile tugged at his lips as Sly recalled slipping out of the bar the group had been hiding at, only to be met with a certain favorite inspector of his aiming a shock pistol right at his face. Now wrapped up in his daydream, Sly faintly blushed as he recalled how beautiful the vixen looked despite the pure rage that burned in her eyes as she barked at him to surrender and willingly be arrested. He could even recall what shade of lipstick she wore, her choice of perfume, and just how stunning the inspector's hair was before he was suddenly snapped back to reality by Nick slapping his back a bit roughly when he realized Sly was no longer paying attention to his complaints. Taking a moment to sip at his coffee, Sly's ears perked up as he noticed just how much Nick had grown since they left the orphanage last year. 

"I swear you're growing like a weed, just last month you barely came up to my chest and now you're practically at my chin. Still skinny as ever though, we'll have to try and put some muscle on you soon before you go and break something." Sly tiredly observed as he examined the 14-year-old raccoon, holding back a snicker as it only sent Nick into another rant of how the gang doesn't listen to him. "Nick you've only been training with us for 6 years now and I know you're eager to join us on a heist but," Sly faltered, trying to come up with the right words. "...Bentley thinks you could benefit from sitting out one more year before joining us so you can polish up your skills. To be quite honest, I agree with him. You’ve improved a bit, but you’re still struggling with some of the basics needed to ensure you remain safe and out of harm's way. Hell, you're still losing to Murray sometimes when it comes to recalling a building's blueprints and layout.” 

Nick simply growled and flopped his head on the table as his scarred ear gave an irritated twitch, something that Sly couldn't help but chuckle at the moment he spotted it. He raised an eyebrow at Sly before letting out a small whine of protest when the older thief ruffled his hair slightly and sipped his coffee. "Why do you guys keep looking at me like I'm some little kid? I can handle myself now, things have changed and I don't need you guys constantly worrying about my safety." 

"Maybe it's because you ARE a kid compared to the others and me? At least you are in terms of how quick you are to lose your composure. You may think you’re ready, but if Bentley says you’d benefit not only us but yourself more by training for another then yeah… I’m inclined to believe him. Sorry, but you’re staying in training, hotshot.” Sly sternly told the young teen, frowning as he didn’t miss the curses muttered under Nick’s breath. 

"Grey, first of all, I'm only 3 years younger than you guys…Second, I get it. I'll agree that I could improve more but if you and Bentley are gonna harp about how much I need to improve my abilities, then why don't you think about stepping up the training at least? I'm just about as quick at picking locks as you are now! I've got the entire city layout of Paris memorized by heart thanks to Bentley, and Murray thinks I could end up being a pretty good fighter." Nick held back a smirk seeing Sly looking to be in thought over the compromise.

"Ok, I'll have to admit you're pretty much set when it comes to a fight. Plus you have gotten much better at picking a lock this year." Sly muttered, more to himself than the other as he took a bite out of his breakfast, a few microwavable pancakes with a side of strawberries they had gotten on discount at the local superstore. "I'll think about it, that's all I can promise you. Oh shit...Sorry about the lack of groceries, we kinda.. got sidetracked. I think there's still a bagel and some eggs left if you're hungry." He pointed out to the younger coon before letting out a loud yawn and rubbing his face to get more tiredness out of his eyes.

"More like you guys forgot to get some before coming home last night." Nick scoffed as he closed the door to the fridge, grabbing the last remaining bagel out of the bag and sticking it into the toaster before grimacing as it popped out a few times before staying locked down after a hard shove on the handle. "Why don't we just go after some bigger names instead of cat burglars and muggers? We'd be able to actually get a decent place instead of living here. It is hardly an upgrade from the orphanage." He sneered as he looked around the room, grimacing as he could see rat traps laying near the broom closet and large chunks of paint flaking off the walls in the living room. He jumped a few moments later when his bagel popped out fully toasted, but growled in annoyance when he saw they were pretty burnt.

"I know it isn't much, but its what we can afford. As for why we're only going after the smaller targets first? It prevents them from becoming even bigger problems down the road. Just be patient and things will get better soon, I promise." Sly calmly replied before scratching at his cheek, unable to deny that even he was beginning to regret moving into such a dilapidated apartment, shivering when he remembered finding a few dead rats in the spare closet just a few days prior. "We'll just have to grit our teeth and bear it for now."

Nick simply nodded before pouring himself a cup of coffee, surprising Sly by adding nothing but two sugars into the drink before taking a sip. Nick knew Sly was right, but a small part of him couldn't help but think _Would things get better soon? How long would they have to wait?_ . He shook his head with a small frown before spotting Bentley walking into the kitchen and grabbing a packet of oatmeal and a cup of coffee, the turtle preferring his to be taken straight black. Nick raised his mug as a greeting to the genius before taking a bite out of his slightly burnt bagel and holding back on gagging in disgust at the taste. 

"Morning Bentley, you just missed the morning fireworks." Sly joked as he took a bite out of his one pancakes and flinching upon discovering it was still slightly frozen in the middle. "Looks like the only safe thing to make right now is either eggs or oatmeal as the toaster and microwave seem to be on the frits again. Also, we forgot to grab some groceries." 

“I knew something was bugging me last night!” Bentley lamented before shaking his head as he fixed up the oatmeal, cooking it on the stove while adding a few leftover strawberries Sly had left on the counter. “I’ll head out with Murray later and grab some later, but I'll get the appliances working again once we get back. While you three wait till they're fixed, cook using the oven or the stovetop until otherwise." The turtle took a small sip of his coffee and frowned before shaking his head. "Nick, would you stop pestering Sly already? It's getting a bit old, I must admit." 

"He'll get it through that stubborn head of his soon enough that we're not gonna back down from our decision. He'll tire himself out eventually." Sly replied before shooting Nick a wink as he sipped on his coffee. "I know you're tired of waiting to go on your first heist, but just focus on getting better and improving your instincts before hounding us about when you'll be set to go. Now, why don't you sit down and relax while Bentley and I try to come up with a plan on how to budget our money for the next week? After we pay this month's rent, we'll have to be a bit careful to not go overboard with our spending." 

"So just pull another heist and actually make it worth your guys' time by getting a good return," Nick grumbled as he walked by Sly, his tail twitching from agitation as he once again felt like the odd-man-out in the group as each attempt to join them was continuing to be shot down. "Why do I even bother trying? It's not like you guys will listen to me." He growled before flipping up the hood on his jacket and putting in his earbuds, rapping his fingers against his coffee mug as smooth jazz soon flooded his ears to help quell his frustrations.

Sly's ears sharply perked up hearing the last remark from the younger teen, realizing just how irked Nick was with the group due to how they seemed to treat him. Making a mental note to have a private talk later with Nick to clear the air and help him calm down, Sly sighed before looking over at Bentley and gave a weak smile seeing he was just as concerned as Sly was. "Let's just get started and try to come up with a new target for next week." 

Bentley simply nodded before heading to his room and grabbing his computer, giving Nick a cautious smile only to frown as he received an irritated growl in response as he walked back over to Sly. "I have a few in mind, but none of them would prepare you for our ultimate goal for next year. We need to get you in the best form possible without the Thievius Raccoonus complete if you want to take on the Fiendish Five. Consider these guys as being more of keeping your skills up to par, so to speak." He explained before sliding the computer over to Sly, taking a moment to eat a few spoonfuls of his breakfast as Sly pondered over the three choices. "Each one has been rumored to have swiped over $250,000 from a few local businesses and/or charities, so if we manage to take them down..."

"We could see a bigger haul than last night's performance." Sly finished with a smirk, rubbing his chin as he gave the three possible targets another look-over before agreeing to take the assignment on the far left, a 40-year-old german Sheppard who looked to be a tech CEO located in nearby Saint-Germain-en-Laye. "Looks like he's done some time for tax evasion in the past as well, not often we deal with white-collar criminals." 

"Its quite rare, but should make for a smooth and effortless job IF you can resist flirting with Inspector Fox should she make an appearance. All you'd need to do is hook up my flash drive to his computer and I can transfer most of the assets over to us and return any stolen income back over to whoever it belongs while sending any evidence to Interpol." Bentley casually replied as he adjusted his glasses, looking over at Nick before dropping his voice to a hushed whisper. "If he can stay out of trouble this week, I'll think about how we can have Nick involved. If it'll get him off our case for a bit, while improving his mood, then I think it could benefit all of us." 

Sly's brow raised in surprise as he heard the stipulation from Bentley, his smile growing bigger as he glanced over his shoulder at Nick. "I think he can manage that. If it's really that simple of a heist, I could distract the guards while he goes in and downloads your virus onto the computer. It'd be a good gauge to see where he is at, talent-wise, while showing us what to expect in the future." He proposed before hearing Nick growling in annoyance, causing Sly to turn around and see Murray ruffling Nick's hair as well when he walked by. 

"Morning small-fry, morning you two." Murray yawned while he grabbed the remaining eggs from the fridge and quickly got to work on cooking them over the stove. "Using the last six eggs if anybody wants some!" Having heard a few polite declines and one grunt, Murray shrugged before looking over at the two sitting nearby and grinned spotting that their next heist was already being thought out. "Guess this means we might be able to keep the fridge stocked for longer than a few days!"

Nick huffed as he could faintly overhear the three going discussing the next job over his music. He turned the volume up higher as he reclined farther on the couch and kicked his feet up to unwind, only raise an eyebrow at the others when he caught them staring right at him. He let out another frustrated sigh before removing his earbuds and gave the trio an annoyed glare before walking over. "Alright I'll bite, what are you three planning and why are you staring at me?"

"Sorry hotshot, it's a surprise for later. I can tell you that you'll like the news, but you gotta be patient with us for just a little bit longer." Sly winked, his grin managing to be infectious as he could see Nick struggling to keep the scowl on his face. "I was gonna take a walk around the city to stretch my legs if you wanna come with while Murray and Bentley head out for supplies?"

"Fine...got nothing better to do," Nick muttered as he jammed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, flipping his hood back up as his ears poked through the two slits. Seeing the others smirking with raised brows at him, he blushed faintly from embarrassment before avoiding their gaze. "Its more comfortable for me, plus I can hear more clearly without the hood covering my ears, ok?!"

Sly only chuckled before looking over at Bentley and shrugging as he stood up and grabbed his own jacket and a scarf, taking a moment to slip on his own boots before grabbing his wallet and apartment keys. "We'll see you both when you get back. I'll make sure this one doesn't get into too much trouble while we're out and about." 

_12:05 PM_

_It's freezing cold, Sly's refusing to let us get something for lunch while we're out, and I'm bored as hell...How can I make this a bit more interesting?_ Nick thought to himself as he slouched over in the winter air with his tail twitching in agitation while Sly calmly walked ahead of him, occasionally slowing down to point out a few places he was wondering if Nick would like to check out. It wasn't until they round the corner and spotted Interpol's headquarters did a mischievous smirk grow on Nick's face. He took a few moments to make sure Sly wouldn't notice before slipped into the flow of the crowded walkway and headed towards the building and climbed up a drainpipe before slipping inside through an unlocked office window.

"Anyways, I was thinking we could take the bus back to the apartment rather than walk all the way back there. What do you think, hotshot?" Sly asked as he looked over a bus stop's schedule and routes, nodding in approval to see that they wouldn't have to wait too long for the next one to arrive. His ears perked up when he didn't get a reply and when he turned around to see that Nick was no longer with him, panic soon began to set in for the older thief. "Nick?! Nick where'd you go?!" Sly yelled out into the crowd as he tried to spot the younger teen before groaning loudly when he spotted him sneaking into Interpol. _Well... I should've seen this coming._ He took off after Nick, sliding across the hood of a car that nearly hit him, and quickly followed Nick inside to try and drag him out before they could be spotted.

 _Ok, you're probably gonna get killed by Sly for ditching him and pulling this stunt but you might as well make it worth the trouble._ Nick thought to himself as he slipped into the ventilation system, not a clear plan in his head until he spotted a certain fox walking down a hallway and into what looks to be a room filled with case files and evidence. _I wonder if..._ He quickly crawled over to the opening of the vent, pulling out his binocucom before zooming in to scan over the filing cabinets. "Geez...they look like they have every criminal's records in here." He whispered to himself before gulping when he could hear Sly whispering for him. _Gotta be quick, if they have everything here... they'll have dad's file too._

"Nick? Where'd you go? Nick?!" Sly hissed as he snuck around the hallways, his fur prickling as every ounce in his body was telling him to just leave and avoid getting himself caught. "Come on buddy, this isn't funny. We gotta get out of here before someone notices us!" He whispered before his ears began to twitch in alert when he heard a few faint thuds coming from the vents. _There you are..._. Sly glanced around the hallway once more before hopping into the vent system and quickly tried to catch up to Nick, freezing as he heard Nick quietly whispering to himself in a panicked tone. 

_WHERE IS IT?! ITS GOTTA BE HERE!!_ Nick's ears pinned back as a frustrated growl began to build in his throat as he scanned over the different files for the 4th time. "It should be right here! Where is it?!" He hissed, skimming through once again before letting out a startled yelp when he felt his wrist be yanked away from the files and soon found himself face to face with a visibly angered Sly. "S-Sly I can explain! I-I just need to find it!" He begged as he broke out of Sly's hold and quickly went back to the folders, throwing them angrily out of his way as he began to tear up. 

"Nick! Knock it off! Stop!" Sly growled before yanking Nick back over and gripping his wrists tightly. "We need to get out of here before-." He started before freezing as he soon heard the static noise of a shock pistol being charged up. 

"Before what, Cooper? You and your little friend here get locked up for good?!" Carmelita smirked, aiming her pistol right at Sly while raising an eyebrow at Nick. "What on Earth made you think I wouldn't notice some no-good criminal sneaking inside Interpol, much less you?" 

Nick's ears pinned back as his eyes were filled with tears of frustration and anger. His fur began to bristle, his fangs baring as a cold growl soon was heard by both of the older members in the room. "W-Where is it?! WHERE IS THE FILE?!" He yelled before hissing as he felt Sly's fingers wrap around his wrist tighter, keeping him locked in place and practically telling him to calm down before things got any worse.

"You expect me to tell you where a case file is located at?" Carmelita scoffed before taking a few steps closer at the two raccoons, causing Sly to quickly glance around and work out an exit strategy. "You both should be more worried about how many years behind bars you'll spend rather than fret over some papers." 

_Ok, I think I got it..._ He thought to himself as a small smirk began to grow on his face. Sly glanced over at Nick before letting out a sigh and turned to Carmelita, slowly approaching the inspector while he kept his hands raised in mock surrender. "Alright, you got us. I should've known better than to go up against the gorgeous and intelligent Inspector Fox." He cooed, his trademark smirk clear on his face even as he felt her press the shock pistol right against his chest. "However, it's a shame I'll be locked up. I'll miss our little chats, our flirting, that lovely silver bracelet on your wrist." 

"B-Bracelet?! What're are you on about, Cooper?!" Carmelita questioned before grunting as Sly suddenly flipped her around and cuffed her to the filing cabinet and jammed his scarf into her mouth with an apologetic smile on his face. She snarled and managed to land a swift kick to Sly's midsection much to her satisfaction as he immediately doubled over in a pained wheeze before grabbing Nick's wrist and leading him out of the room, much to the younger thief's protests until they had managed to evacuate the building safely. 

Sly quickly ducked down behind an alleyway and clasped his hand over Nick's mouth, shooting the feisty teen a nasty glare to keep him silent while two officers rushed by their hiding spot and soon faded from their view. He let out a small sigh of relief before a pained yelp echoed in the air as he felt Nick bite down hard on his hand before trying to sprint away from him. 

"You get your ass back here!" Sly yelled before roughly yanking Nick back by his tail and pinning him against the brick wall with a furious snarl. "What the hell were you thinking?!" He yelled, causing a startled look to appear on the younger teen's face. "Do you know how seriously dangerous that was?! What would you have done if you had gotten locked up?!" 

"I-I..." Nick hesitated before flinching as he felt Sly's grip on his shoulders growing tighter, causing a faint whine of pain to slip out of his throat. "I was trying to-"

"I don't care what you were trying to do, Nick! I don't want to risk losing you because you wanted to pull some stupid stunt like this!" 

Nick flinched once again before hanging his head, trying to blink back tears as he once again was on the receiving end of a lecture by the older thief, his anger and frustration boiling over to cause him to snap. Shooting his head up and giving Sly the best furious look he could muster up, he gripped onto Sly's shirt collar and bared his fangs as his emotions ran wild once more. 

"WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE?! YOU'RE NOT MY DAMN BROTHER ANYWAYS!!" Nick snapped before freezing and quickly letting go of Sly's shirt, nothing but regret filling his body as he watched Sly stare at him in shocked hurt as the thief's hands fell off his shoulders. "S-Sly! I-I didn't mean... I was just..." He tried to explain, tears now falling as he stared at Sly who was now avoiding his eyes. Nick shakily reached out to touch Sly's shoulder and flinched hard feeling his hand be slapped away, causing his ears to press back in shame and regret. 

"Let's go. You've done enough today, don't you think?" Sly coldly replied, jamming his hands into his pants pockets and roughly brushing his shoulder against Nick's. Glancing over his shoulder, he let out a growl as he saw Nick just staring at him before he grabbed the younger thief's wrist and practically dragged him through the streets of Paris and back towards their apartment. "I SAID MOVE IT, NICK." 

Nick let out a pained yelp feeling Sly grip his wrist tightly, biting his lip to prevent more whimpers from escaping as he begrudgingly followed the visibly hurt thief. His tail dragged behind him, causing a few pained whimpers when a few people unknowingly stepped on the appendage as the got closer to the bus stop. Once on the bus, Nick couldn't help as a few choked sobs began to slip out of him as he quickly flipped up the hood on his jacket and covered his face to muffle his crying. "I-I'm sorry... Sly, I'm sorry..." He kept coughing out, even as the older teen eventually pulled him over into a tight hug and rubbed his back. 

Sly didn't say a thing the entire bus ride back to the apartment, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around Nick as he felt him crying into his chest in shame for what he said to the thief. He didn't say a thing when he helped Nick up and walked him gently to the front door, and he didn't say a thing when they walked into the apartment and Nick sprinted to his room. He flopped onto the couch and buried his face into his hands before letting out a shaky sigh as Bentley and Murray soon arrived a short time later, both absolutely terrified about their actions being on the news but soon being concerned seeing Sly wiping at his face before giving them a weak smile. 

"What happened...?" Murray cautiously asked as he sat down next to Sly, hesitating before pulling him into a hug while Bentley got to work on making some tea for everyone to help calm their nerves. 

"Its... a long story, big guy," Sly muttered before looking over at Nick's room, ears pinning back farther as they could hear muffled crying coming from inside the room. "Let's just say that things were said that weren't true, I think." 

"Should we talk about his punishment for what he did?" Bentley asked before seeing Sly shaking his head, handing Sly a mug of the tea and watching him take a small sip. 

"No, I think he's beating himself up enough for what happened. Let's just let it go, ok?" He muttered before leaning against Murray, a pained expression on his face as he could hear Nick's anger in his head once more. "I'll talk to him once we're both calmed down, just don't pressure him." Sly sipped his tea once more before letting out another shaky sigh while Murray rubbed his back and Bentley gave a small, understanding nod. 

"Do you know why he was looking through those folders? He must've been searching for something." 

"I think he was trying to find his dad's file... I noticed he had skimmed over the collection multiple times." Sly muttered before sighing. "That means they probably don't have my father's file on record anymore, or they were converted into digital copies." 

"If they're digital, I should be able to access them rather quickly. If you'd like... I could send you both the information." Bentley replied, not missing the faint devious look in Sly's eyes that appeared. "I should have the files downloaded by midnight if I started now." 

"We'd appreciate it," Sly replied with a small smile, looking down at his tea before a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Could you wipe Interpol's copy clean once you got them downloaded?"

"It'd be a piece of cake." The turtle smugly replied, adjusting his glasses before hopping onto his laptop and getting to work. 

_Now... to talk to Nick._ Sly thought to himself before patting Murray's leg, signaling to the hippo that he wished to get up and stretch his legs a bit. Taking a moment to breathe, Sly walked over to Nick's bedroom and gently rapped on the door, ears flattening once more as he heard a faint series of coughs before the door clicked, signaling it was unlocked. He hesitated before slipping inside and gently closed the door behind him before spotting Nick curled up on the bed, his back facing away from him. 

"Nick... can we talk?" Sly gently asked as he walked over, not missing the flinch Nick gave upon hearing his voice. "I'm not pissed at you, I just want to talk. I promise." Sly assured as he sat on the bed, rubbing Nick's back before watching him slowly sit up and look over at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Why? I think I said enough the last time we tried talking, don't you think?" Nick sarcastically laughed, wiping his eyes before letting out a shaky breath. "Sly... I didn't mean it... I swear. I love you and the guys, you're like my family." He admitted before looking down at his hands, his ears pinning back as he shut his eyes tightly. "I swear I didn't mean it, Sly..." 

"I know you didn't, hotshot." He muttered before pulling him into a tight hug, rubbing his back more as he felt Nick struggling to calm down and fight back more tears. "You gotta realize that when we're scolding you, it's not because we hate you or are pissed off at you... its because we want you to stay safe. You're our like little brother, and we'd be devastated to lose you."

Nick simply nodded and gripped onto Sly's arms tightly, returning the hug before wiping his eyes with a small, shaky cough. "I know.. I'm sorry..." the younger teen muttered before feeling Sly ruffle his hair, this time causing a small smile to appear on his face as he saw Sly smiling back at him.

"Just remember, you're stuck with us caring about you no matter what you say or do. Got it, Nick?" Sly snickered, causing the other to laugh lightly before suddenly hugging Sly tightly, causing Sly to wheeze as the air left his lungs for a moment before he returned the hug. "Come on... Bentley and Murray are worried about you. Let's show them you're gonna be alright, ok?"

"Ok...just promise to save me from Murray if he tries to hug me?" Nick asked, a hint of fear in his voice as a visible shiver ran through his body and causing Sly to let out a hard laugh before slapping his back lightly. 

"Nope, that'll be for refusing to listen to me." Sly snickered, leading Nick out of the room and into the bone-crushing hug that Murray was waiting to give him while Bentley was quick to start scolding Nick, this time a sheepish smile and laugh on the younger teen's face as he realized just how much they really did care about him.

 _These guys..._ Nick thought to himself as he started to explain himself to Bentley and Murray, with the occasional interruptions from Sly to add any missing details in the story. 

_It's gonna be hard to say goodbye to this..._ He sadly admitted as he glanced back into his room, thankful Sly hadn't noticed a plane ticket to New York had been purchased and was laying underneath his pillow. _It'll be a few months away, at least...they'll understand why._

_I hope..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nick's gonna be leaving the gang soon! Looks like their youngest brother is planning to venture out on his own and become a solid thief in his own way. Wonder how they'll handle the loss, especially with the Fiendish Five mission set for the following year as well. 
> 
> I think I'll make this a 5-7 chapter story, then move on to the next stage of the series. It all depends on how much free time I have, along with my motivation. Just a reminder, Nick Johnson and any non-canon characters that are or will be mentioned in this series belong to me.


	3. Story on Delay

Hey everyone! Unfortunately, work has me swamped like crazy for the next couple of weeks so I won't have much time to work on the new chapter. I've currently only got 4 paragraphs written down for the new chapter. I apologize for the disappointing news, and I'll do my best to get the next chapter out ASAP. Thank you for being so patient!


	4. Scrapping this story

Hi everyone, as the title of the new chapter shows... I'm basically ending this story. I've realized I'm not satisfied with my original backstory for Nick, nor do I wish to continue writing this as it wouldn't be accurate to his new lore. Mainly, however, is that I'm just suffering from procrastination and writer's block... so I have no motivation to write. I might make a new story down the road if I can think of something... but no promises. I apologize to anyone who actually was enjoying this story.


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